Sword and Shield: Volume 2: A Family Visit
by Stellar Magic
Summary: Sequel to Sword and Shield: Volume 1. Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori travel to Afghanistan on the invitation of Ahmad Shah Massoud. Sousuke comes face to face with his past and the lone survivor of Amalgam while the Soviet Union launches an attack with the sole aim of destroying the Northern Alliance and killing its leader, Ahmad Shah Massoud.
1. Preperations and Invitations

_Author's Note: I should point out that as events in Afghanistan have played out quite a bit different then in our timeline that the culture is also slightly more lenient. Afghanistan under Soviet Occupation and Administration is a more liberal society then it is after the Taliban's rule. So some of the rules are not nearly as strictly enforced. As I have not been to Afghanistan and have to rely on research, I'm sure a large part of what I write will be wrong. For that I apologize, but I am trying my best..._

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**Sword and Shield**

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**Volume 2:** A Family Visit  
**Chapter 1: **Preparations and Invitations

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**Family **1. _n._ (countable) A father, mother and their sons and daughters; also called nuclear family. 2. _n._ (countable) A group of people related by blood, marriage, law, or custom. 3. _n._ (countable) A kin, tribe; also called extended family. 4. _n._ (countable, biology, taxonomy) A rank in the classification of organisms, below order and above genus; a taxon at that rank. 5. _n._ (countable) A group of people who live together, or one that is similar to one that is related by blood, marriage, law, or custom, or members of one's intimate social group. 6. _n._ (countable) Any group or aggregation of things classed together as kindred or related from possessing in common characteristics which distinguish them from other things of the same order. 7. _n._ (countable, music) A group of instrument having the same basic method of tone production. 8. _n._ (countable, linguistics) A group of languages believed to have descended from the same ancestral language. 9. _a._ Suitable for children and adults. 10. _a._ Conservative, traditional. 11. _a._ (slang) Homosexual.

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**3 April 2000, 06:59 hrs.  
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan  
Room 334, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Sagara Sousuke woke as the first rays of sunlight began to pierce through the curtains of the hotel. He groaned and glanced down at the head, which lay, atop his chest. He sighed before he ran a hand through the long mane of thick blue-black hair and gave one of his faint smiles as Kaname stirred and snuggled against him. Sousuke closed his eyes and tried to relax, letting the simple comfort of Kaname's presence calm the nervous soldier within him.

It had been five days since America had attempted to snatch her away and caused an international incident that sent the American Forces Stationed in Japan scrambling to move to other bases. Five days since Wraith had ended up in the hospital.

The Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel had gone from a sleepy hotel beside the Tamagawa River to the defacto Headquarters of Sword and Shield over the last few days. Every member of Mithril that had been expatriated to Japan was crowded into the hotel, and packed the lobby at all hours of the day.

Sousuke smiled as he remembered seeing two Av-8b pilots singing drunken karaoke the night before, one with a thick British accent and the other with a sultry Russian one. It was an eccentric collection of soldiers, and Sousuke had smiled faintly when he'd seen Kurz Weber drunk under the table by one of the Alaskan arm slave pilots, with Mao and a few other women still going strong.

The strangest bit was that in this land of intense regulation on firearms, to the point that Sousuke's weapons had been mistaken for mere toys, the small arsenal that the group had brought with them. The United States had given back the group's weapons before expatriating them, perhaps hoping that the group would generate an incident with the local police in Japan.

M4 carbines, P90 personal defense weapons, M9 Beretta pistols, and a vast array of other arms were clearly visible whenever one looked in the lobby. The hotel manager had been pale the first few days before it became clear that despite the armed group that had occupied the hotel, they weren't there for battle or to trash the place.

The former Mithril personnel were waiting… waiting for orders, for missions, for a job. Sousuke knew that Narashino's mechanized troop would be quick to gobble up any former Mithril arm slave pilots to help train their force. He suspected that the other military members would soon find themselves taking up similar posts as advisors and instructors for the rest of the Self Defense Forces, all of them would be earning a decent income to help pay for the next step in forming Sword and Shield.

Except for a select few which held a different role in the organization of Sword and Shield. Melissa, Kurz, and he were certain to be assigned the same basic assignment that they had held before, protection detail for the whispered. According to rumors, Kurz and Melissa were already assigned to Tessa's personal detail. A woman Sousuke was not familiar with had been assigned to Mira Kudan, and he...

He had Kaname.

It was a strange arrangement. One that Sousuke knew would have violated a small platoon's worth of regulations in Mithril. Kaname needed a bodyguard, as her own abilities as a whispered made her a valuable commodity. That they had a relationship as well complicated matters, and Sousuke supposed that he would be assigned some form of backup once the organization solidified.

Probably Wraith, if she fully recovered.

Sousuke felt Kaname's head turn slowly atop his chest. She glanced up at Sousuke and smiled. A moment later, she had laid her head down atop his chest and let out a contented sigh. Sousuke kissed her forehead and closed his eyes. The outside world could wait. He'd fought almost all his life for a bit of peace, he might as well enjoy it.

* * *

**3 April 2000, 07:41 hrs.  
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan  
Hotel Lobby, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Teletha Testarossa sighed as she stretched out and stared down at the laptop balancing atop her knees. She closed her eyes and sighed as she fumbled for the thermos of coffee that she'd already snuck away from Sarah before the girl could lay claim to it.

She twirled her braided hair before taking a sip from the thermos and setting it back down atop the coffee table before turning back to the laptop. Her arms ached from typing and her brain was fogged from lack of sleep. The number of separate companies she had contacted filled the screen. Sarah Miller's skills were certainly in great demand, there were already eager responses to queries Tessa had sent to TMSUK, Sohgo Security Services, Sanyo, Sony Electronics, Honda, Sony, Fujitsu, Toyota, and Hitachi. All of them were interested in the further development of various robotics.

Tessa's own skills were also in high demand, as she found that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation had already begun to bid on a number of the designs she had worked on for Mithril, including the Tuatha de Danaan-class amphibious assault submarine and Firblog-class attack submarine.

The sale of old Mithril designs and upgrade kits would leave the newly formed Sword and Shield Company flush with cash, which they could use to setup their own operating facilities. Already Tessa was in negotiations with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to sell them the design of the M6D Black Bushnell that had once been Mithril's primary weapon, the F-32B Ghost that had been used in the Battle in Alaska, and F-23A Black Widow, which Mithril had tested but elected not to procure.

The designs would likely be used as basis for a new F-32J light fighter, an F-23J air superiority fighter, and a new version of the Type 96 arm slave. Tessa knew that even with the designs, it would likely be a few years before the planes entered full scale production and saw front line service.

The door to the lobby banged open and Tessa jumped. By the rather meager breakfast table that had been set out there was a crash as Sarah Miller dropped a plate filled with cupcakes and fumbled for the pistol that was in her pocket.

"Wait!" A voice answered with a rather distinct accent that left no doubt as to the identity of the speaker.

Zalad Farzen held his hands out where they were visible and slowly stepped away from the door. "Do not shoot the messenger, okay?"

Tessa and Sarah slowly lowered their weapons as the other Mithril mercenaries scattered around the lobby did as well. Farzen adjusted his ball-cap before wandering over to the coffee table and pulling a rather large packet of papers out from his satchel and dropping them across from her.

He dropped into the seat and leaned back, pulling the brim of his cap down over his eyes. "I see you remain in the same place I left you, Ms. Testarossa."

Tessa rolled her eyes and returned to the laptop just as the door clanged open and a delivery man wheeled a massive set of boxes inside followed by two teenagers. Tessa's gaze flicked back to the pair of Japanese teens and a smile played across her lips for a moment. "Kazama, Kyoko!"

The pair stepped over to the coffee table just as the deliveryman set down the massive collection of packages and equipment beside the counter and passed the order form to the hotel manager. The man frowned before picking up the phone and dialing a number, muttering under his breath in Japanese.

* * *

**3 April 2000, 08:09 hrs.  
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan  
Room 334, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Kaname woke to the room phone ringing and groaned as Sousuke answered it. Her head throbbed in its usual fashion from the combination of her low blood pressure and the whispers, drowning out Sousuke's quick conversation and she slid from her resting place atop Sousuke as he put the phone down. Kaname stumbled upright and headed for the shower, banging against the hotel walls as she staggered to the warmth of the cascade of hot water.

She stood beneath the nearly scalding hot spray letting the heat of the water wake her slowly from the fog that beset her mind every morning. As she finished washing her long hair, her mind finally engaged remembering the events of the last week. It had started bad enough with the American attack on her apartment, but since then... it had been much better than she expected.

Of course, there were bad bits, with Wraith in the hospital and Sousuke healing from a graze by a rifle round, but overall things had taken a turn for the better. She'd been able to speak with her father without covering up things she knew, and even managed to get the old man to accept her relationship with Sousuke.

Her cheeks flushed as that chain of thought brought her back to Sousuke, the military otaku. Their relationship had bloomed since Mithril's collapse and her rescue. She still couldn't believe that it had progressed as quickly as it had, but then they had circled each other for over a year before finally admitting they liked let alone... loved each other. Perhaps they were simply making up for lost time.

If Kaname had been raised exclusively in Japan, she was certain she would die from embarrassment as to what had happened. The very idea of sharing an apartment with a boy was something worthy of shame in Japan, let alone a bed, and that was exactly what they had done. Her experience living in New York countered her upbringing in Japan, and she was thankful.

It wasn't about sex... as that hadn't happened until just a few days earlier, and Kaname was certain that most of her old class had some experience in that sort of intimacy already. After all, there was a reason that love hotels existed. No, Kaname's reasons for clinging to Sousuke at night were born more out of a desperate need to feel safe and secure. He was her personal Bonta-kun, a guardian and protector.

Kaname felt a faint smile play across her face as she thought of Sousuke. She wasn't the only one plagued by nightmares, as she had learned the first night they slept in the same bed. It was little surprise considering how he had lived until his arrival in Japan.

"Kaname... I do require the shower as well." Sousuke's voice came through the bathroom door and Kaname let out a sigh. She turned off the water and stepped out. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. A moment later she opened the door and found Sousuke standing there in his pajama pants waiting for her. With a smile she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before stepping past.

Sousuke froze for a moment and slowly blushed, a response that made Kaname's heart sing. He was still a scared little boy in so many ways, and it was moments like this that Kaname cherished the most. She hummed as she walked over to one of the duffle bags in the room and started to pull out a set of clothes.

Kaname changed into a set of kahki pants that clung to her slim 'idol' like figure and pulled on a simple white T-shirt that was three sizes too large and clearly Sousuke's. An impish smile slipped across her lips as Sousuke came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He arched an eyebrow at her choice of a shirt before starting to grab his own clothes.

"A number of items I ordered arrived this morning." Sousuke informed her as he pulled on a set of cargo pants and a white button up shirt that he wore over a T-shirt. "That was why the lobby called."

"Understood, has your friend finished the arrangements?" Kaname asked as she pocketed her room key and slipped the small Glock 26 pistol she'd begun carrying into a pocket. The stun gun she owned went into her purse as well.

"Zalad should be nearly finished..." Sousuke said as he slipped his Glock 17 into the waist band of his pants. "Kazama landed an interview for Buki and Sento Magazines, but they said they usually pay freelancers for photographs. I did contact Janes and GlobalSecurity but they said the same thing. I checked news magazines as well, and while many have photographers on retainer, most photos they use are from freelancers."

"Is there any way we could help him?" Kaname asked. "He is your friend."

"He will need photographs to sell to start, and in order for that to happen, he'll need to travel." Sousuke stated. "Kyoko attempted to interview for Friday, but they said much the same..."

"I know..." Kaname sighed as she slipped on her shoes and glanced at Sousuke. "Perhaps you can sponsor their first trip to get some photos to sell?"

"It is possible..." Sousuke allowed as he finished getting dressed and pulled on his military style boots before opening the door and heading out into the hall. They walked to the elevator and took it down to the first floor, emerging in the middle of the lobby.

Kaname followed Sousuke, and they were directed to the stack of boxes that were beside the coffee table that Tessa had claimed as her workstation. As they approached, Kaname smiled on seeing Kyoko and Shinji talking in a seat across from Tessa. The pair of them glanced up and smiled at their approach. Beside them, the tan figure of Farzen Zalad suddenly seemed to wake up and adjusted his baseball cap as they approached.

Sousuke picked up the receipt for the packages and nodded to himself. "Yes... I believe these will be ideal."

"What is it?" Shinji asked. "What'd you order Sousuke?"

Sousuke frowned for a second before shrugging his shoulders. "I will show you..." He pulled open the first box and removed a plastic gun case from inside. With a smirk, he popped open the case.

Kaname gasped, and Shinji looked as if he was about to faint. Inside was an Kalashnikov assault rifle, but unlike most every example that she had ever seen, this one did not look like it had come from some stamped industrial press and lathe. The metal was engraved with images of a tiger and lion, roaring, and the wood was covered with various swirl patterns that reminded Kaname of dervishes. The engraved images of the tiger and lion were plated with gold, and Kaname's eyes were wide as Sousuke worked the action once and smiled.

"Sousuke..."

"It is a gift, for my father." Sousuke said with a faint smile as he set the weapon back down on the case. "I am glad the engraver was told that it should remain fully functional, it would not do to disable the weapon in the name of art..."

Kaname shook her head as Sousuke closed the case. It was so typically him, that she couldn't help but smile.

"Your father... you mean, Massoud?" Shinji said excitedly. "Is he coming here?"

Farzen snorted. "No, we are going to him."

Shinji glanced between Sousuke and Farzen before his eyes widened. "Sousuke..."

"Yes?"

"Wouldn't photos from Afghanistan be really valuable?"

Sousuke froze and Kaname's eyes went wide, as Kyoko suddenly looked nervous. Farzen slowly sat up and glanced at Shinji. "Why do you ask?"

"I... I need to prove I can be a battlefield photographer, and I need help getting started. So... could I go with you?" Shinji asked and Kaname swallowed.

"You want to come with me, to meet my father?" Sousuke said nervously. "Kazama..."

"You're talking Kaname aren't you?" Shinji snapped. "If she can go, why not me?"

"Massoud requested Kaname's presence... I would not agree until I had a means to assure her safety." Sousuke rubbed his head and groaned. "However... he has a point. If you truly wish to be a battlefield or military photographer, then this is certainly an opportunity."

"Sousuke?" Kaname murmured. "Are you sure?"

"Yes... I did procure a few items for Shinji, while I was at it." Sousuke said before pulling a black bullet proof vest and helmet from another box which had 'PRESS' painted on it in bright white letters.

"Cool..." Shinji murmured before Sousuke tossed it at him, nearly burying Shinji under the armor.

Kyoko swallowed. "Sousuke... I..."

"Don't tell me you wish to go too?" Kaname said with a groan. She slumped when Kyoko nodded. "Why?"

"We... talked, and Shinji suggested we work as a team... He would do the military things and I could do the more... human side of any conflict. After being at school with Sousuke for a year, I guess I've gotten used to the danger." Kyoko smiled timidly. "Plus, I could keep an eye on him this way."

Sousuke sighed. "I have an extra bulletproof vest amongst this lot." He glanced at Kaname for a moment before looking to Farzen. "Can you accommodate two more passengers?"

"Easily."

Sousuke sighed. "Well, I guess we're bringing them along then."

"Sousuke?" Kaname shifted nervously. "Are you sure?"

"Shinji has a point, getting pictures from Afghanistan would definitely help get him started in the field he's chosen." Sousuke said. "I am sure Kyoko can find a market for snapshots of life in Afghanistan as well, perhaps a magazine such as National Geographic will purchase them."

"I... I have been doing some research." Kyoko admitted. "If we could get a decent sized portfolio, we could join Magnum Photos. They're a photography agency and cooperative."

Sousuke nodded. "Before that, I believe I should... brief you on what you will encounter in Afghanistan. Perhaps you can explain how we're arriving?"

Farzen sighed. "Transit to India and then to Pakistan is pretty conventional. We'll be taking normal airlines there, since I think Sousuke can afford it. Once we get to Pakistan, we'll be taking a United Nations An-2 Cub across the border into Afghanistan. The airfield there is just across the Khyber Pass and held by the Mallagori tribe."

"Pashtuns..." Sousuke sighed. "At least they are not aligned with Omar and his 'students'."

"What does that mean?" Kaname asked.

Farzen sat up. "Pashtuns are one of the largest ethnic groups of Afghanistan. They speak Pashto, and tend to be slightly more conservative then Tajiks. Mullah Omar is the leader of a movement called the Taliban, which means 'students' they believe in a rather extreme interpretation of Islam. Fortunately, despite getting assistance from Pakistan, Omar's philosophy has been largely checked by the Soviet government."

"Farzen is a Pashtun..." Sousuke said. "Though I believe his mother was—"

"A Tajik, which is also the second most common group in Afghanistan," Farzen said. "They speak a version of Farsi called Dari, oh, and Ahmad Shah Massoud is a Tajik. Then there are Hazara, Uzbek, Aimaq, Turkmen,and Baloch. Since almost everyone you will meet are either Tajik or Pashtun, you don't really need to worry about them."

Sousuke nodded. "I know Farsi and Pashto, along with Russian and a smattering of Arabic. It should be sufficient to allow me to translate for us, as I am certain Farzen will be along for most of the ride as well."

"What happens after we get inside the country? Isn't it under Soviet occupation?" Shinji asked.

"Well, I've arranged for a flight to the Northern Alliance Territories." Farzen smirked faintly. "Ahmad finally got enough trained pilots to cobble together a squadron of 'Krokodil'. One will pick us up."

"We will go by helicopter from that point on then... and yes Shinji, Afghanistan is under Soviet occupation." Sousuke said. "Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai was the Soviet installed president and he served until 1992, when he was replaced by his deputy, Abdul Rahim Hatef. The Soviet Union considers Afghanistan a member of it's Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and calls the nation the People's Republic of Afghanistan. Unlike most Soviet Republics, it retains its own military, made up mostly of out-dated soviet equipment. In addition, the Russians have deployed a number of their own assets to hold onto the country."

"It is a strange war at times." Farzen said. "You must understand, Afghanistan is predominately a muslim nation, and Soviet communism at times acts to suppress religion. So many of our traditions based upon that heritage and are continually assaulted by the Soviets. Unfortunately..."

"We must be cautious not to upset the sensibilities of our hosts." Sousuke said, glancing at Kaname and Kyoko. "There are codes of behavior we should attempt to follow to avoid insult. Kaname and Kyoko will have to bend the most to these rules." He furrowed his brow. "Though I will have to make some adjustments as well..."

Kaname glanced up at him in surprise. "Sousuke?"

"We cannot share a bed while in Afghanistan... We are not married, and men and women have separate living areas in an Afghan home." Sousuke said quietly. "I... I will have to tolerate the nightmares as I once did."

Kaname shivered and glanced at the table top. "I understand..."

"Among the local traditions is the belief that one covers their head, and I must insist that we each choose to cover our head when we are not wearing a helmet. I will buy a pakol for myself and Shinji... as for Kaname and Kyoko."

"I will not wear a Burqa!" Kaname hissed.

Farzen grinned and Sousuke sighed. "I would not ask that of you... The traditional rules of hijab give you other options, and I believe we will be able to relax some of those rules in Massoud's presence, as he is not the strictest one with such rules."

"If you gave her a tactical style vest, no one would question her lack of hijab and assume she was just a mercenary. Many have grown a bit used to Soviet women clad in military uniforms," Farzen said. "For you two, simply a head-scarf should be sufficient so long as you choose to wear clothing that is not... glamorous or revealing."

"The conditions on the ground would encourage you to wear utilitarian clothes, it should be comfortable and loose, not form fitting or fashionable," Sousuke said.

Kyoko nodded and Kaname sighed, "I think we can find something sufficient, concealing."

"Now... cultural taboos," Sousuke said and let out a long sigh knowing this would turn into quite a lengthy discussion.

* * *

**3 April 2000, 04:37 hrs.  
Fayzabad, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan  
1st Dast-Banda Squadron, Babr Base, United Front**

Sabine Refiola groaned as the distant rumble of a low flying plane made the mud walls of the small house she'd been assigned shudder. Through the small windows, she could see a fire in the distance and the crisscross of green tracers trying to strike the nighttime flyer.

She ran a hand along the bandages that were wrapped around her middle and scowled before she sunk back onto the low mattress that served as her bed. A week earlier, she'd been moved to the small house that was beside an old Soviet AS base, given a set of local clothes, an AKM, and a job.

The various groups that made up the alliance, which Massoud led, managed to capture equipment from the Soviet Afghans and Russian Forces with amazing regularity, but little of it was of use without properly trained mechanics, pilots, drivers, and other soldiers. The Arm Slaves were amongst the most demanding weapons to train a soldier to use. It was only matched by the complexity of a helicopter, or a fixed wing airplane. She had overheard Massoud bemoan the situation to his lieutenants, talking about how they had barely a dozen crews for the helicopters they'd captured, and roughly the same number capable of using Arm Slaves.

When Sabine had made her way to the simple 'classroom' that her hosts had organized for the first time, she'd been stunned by the array of weapons the group had managed to procure. She had expected to find a dozen battle-worn Rk-92 Savages, or perhaps the older version with a diesel engine.

Instead, she found two Zy-99M Shadows, which appeared to have been maintained by cannibalizing parts from other mechs they'd recovered. The fact that the Northern Alliance had already managed to get a hold of such weapons came as a surprise, as she had heard the type had barely entered frontline service with Russian Guards Divisions a few months earlier.

Of course, they had Savages as well, as the old Rk-92 and Rk-91s were nearly as common these days as the original BMP. There were problems, of course, as the Rk-92s used gas turbine engines as their power source, which guzzled fuel. As fuel was in short supply, the Rk-91 diesel powered Savages were being relied upon to train the pilots, as there simply wasn't enough gas to warrant using the Rk-92s except for combat sorties.

Then there were the two Zy-99M Shadows. Each used a Palladium reactor, which was capable of up to week of continuous use with a single tank of hydrogen-3. The problem being that as rare as gasoline and diesel were, they were nowhere near as rare as nuclear fuel, especially the fusion variety that the two Arm Slaves used.

So, despite having modern Arm Slaves, she found herself teaching the Northern Alliance pilots with the aging Rk-91 Savages. Only the best of the lot were allowed to use the more valuable Rk-92s and Zy-99Ms, but even these pilots had trouble as they weren't used to the power and speed, which the newest models were capable of.

A bomb exploded in the distance and Sabine's scowl deepened. A glance at her watched showed it was nearly dawn, and the harassment attacks would end with the rising sun. She sighed and slipped out of the bed, pulling on her clothes. The dirty grey tunic and local style trousers itched, and it had taken here several days to figure out exactly how to pull them on without help from Sadiqa, Massoud's wife.

She had elected to cut her hair short with a knife a few days earlier and donned a pakul cap. In many ways, her choice of clothing and position as an instructor was something of an insult to some of the more fundamentalist elements of the Northern Alliance. The Pashtuns especially seemed mortified at the thought of being taught by a foreign woman clad as a man, but it also quickly became clear that those same fundamentalist fighters proved to be incapable of really adjusting and working a modern weapon system.

The ethnic Tajiks were a different matter, as most viewed women in a better light culturally then their Pashtun neighbors, and while female fighters were a rarity, they did exist, even among the Pashtuns. That Ahmad Shah Massoud was a Tajik himself helped to explain the difference. Tajik women were more likely to be seen only wearing a headscarf, or only making a nod or two toward traditional hijab practices. The Pashtun women were more likely to be hidden away beneath a burqa, though even that was rare except for a small section in the south where a Pakistan backed militia was trying to carve its own place in Afghanistan.

The youngest of Tajik recruits thought of her as a curiosity, and she had heard rumors that some of them were hoping to 'steal the foreign girl's heart'. Of course, Sabine ignored or rebuffed all such approaches. Her heart was dead, it had died with Leonard at Merida Island.

Pulling the pakol cap down over her head, she picked up the AKM and swung it over her shoulder before heading out the door and into the night. Her wounds ached as she walked the hundred or so meters to the base as the first hints of the coming dawn lit up the sky.

The Tajik soldier that stood guard at the base entrance nodded to her as she approached. Like the personal guard, which Massoud had assembled, this man wore a Russian ballistic vest and carried a new AN.94 Akaban assault rifle. He wore a pakol cap, and the simple local garb beneath the vest. Instead of local shoes, the man had a set of rather worn trainers on.

He also spoke English, and at times Sabine wondered if he was truly a local or some CIA operative working against the soviets in their ongoing proxy war.

"You are early," He said before smirking. "Did the buzzing Graches wake you?"

"I believe they woke everyone, and that was their intention." Sabine said as she stepped through the guard post. "Has anythi—"

She froze as she saw a pair of trucks sitting idle in the middle of the base, loaded with two arm slaves covered in a tarp. Sabine stumbled forward toward the two mechs, her old wounds aching as she approached them.

"They arrived last night, some men ambushed a convoy and made off with these two," the guard said.

Sabine nodded her understanding as she tore off the tan tarp and looked at the two Arm Slaves. Her gaze caught the typical sandy desert camouflage that was almost standard for Afghan operations before it took in the mech's form. She glanced over at the guard before clambering up onto the truck-bed and tapping the cockpit access hatch. With a hiss the compartment popped open revealing a familiar cockpit filled with instruments labeled in Cyrillic.

Sabine reached down and smiled when she found the operating manual hidden underneath the seat. Flipping it open, she skimmed the first instructions and froze, recognizing most of it.

_Project 1059 - Testarossa-Zostoya 100(m)_

She swallowed. It was an Amalgam design... Painted in soviet colors, with instruments in cryllic and... A smile slowly spread across her lips as she glanced back at the cockpit and whispered to herself, "A Lambda Driver."

* * *

**2 April 2000, 19:53 hrs.  
Atlanta, State of Georgia, United States  
Office of Christian Amanpour, CNN Center**

Christian Amanpour sat back in her Atlanta office, a place she was lucky to sit in once a week and glanced over the vast array of materials that had been brought before her over the last few days. There were faxes of intelligence reports that the pentagon correspondent had acquired, articles from Jane's Defense Weekly, and Global Security, and even a few other sources that had been slipped to various reporters that were part of the CNN network or its affiliates.

She was sure that handed some of the information over would most certainly have landed the source in prison if it was compromised. Some of the things that were detailed on the reports were clearly national, or in some cases, international secrets.

At the top of the pile was a statement that had been sent to her office from Admiral Jay L. Johnson, the one member of the Joint Chiefs that had resigned in protest over the attack on Mithril. He had also sent a letter of protest that CNN had dutifully aired the day after the attack in Tokyo against Kaname Chidori.

The statement however puzzled her.

_I know that you are intent upon the mystery that is Mithril, as your reporting has made quite clear over the last few days. I would caution you however, that you will find a vast mystery lying beneath the group called Mithril. You have chanced upon Pandora's Box, use every caution when deciding how much to reveal to the world._

_Jay L. Johnson_

_Admiral, US Navy (Ret.)_

Pursing her lips she set the statement down and glanced back at the pile of bits of information before her. A moment later she started to read, diving into the vast array of classified material that had been set before her.


	2. Rifles and Plots

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

**Volume 2:** A Family Visit  
**Chapter 2: **Rifles and Plots

* * *

**Correlation of Forces **1. _n._ An analytic concept used by Soviet leaders and scholars to understand and interpret the pace of what they view as the inevitable historical development in favor of socialism. 2. _n. _A rough Soviet equivalent of the Western concept of the "balance of power," "correlation of forces" as it is used by Soviet spokesmen encompasses economic, political, and military-security dimensions. 3. _n. _A listing of the opposing armed forces of a military campaign.

* * *

**3 April 2000, 11:30 hrs.  
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan  
Hotel Lobby, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Farzen Zalad smiled faintly as he glanced over at Sousuke and Kaname talking at a corner table. Spread out before them was a set of blueprints and from the few scattered words he picked up, Farzen gathered that they were the blueprints to her apartment. Sousuke, no doubt, had figured that some security could be added in the midst of the rebuilding process, and while he doubted the Japanese woman would be particularly happy with the addition of armor plating to her apartment's walls, bulletproof glass, or anything else that Sousuke would suggest, she likely would allow it in light of previous events.

Across from Farzen, the platinum blonde was bent over her laptop once more, typing at a furious rate. No doubt, she was hard at work with something intended to make this new organization that Sousuke had joined run. The redhead, Mira, had left an hour earlier with her personal guard.

Farzen glanced back at the assorted documents he'd gathered for the trip along with the various tickets and other bits for the trip. As he had said, getting to Pakistan was the easy part of the journey, even with Sousuke's military kit. The dangers wouldn't truly begin until they had crossed the border into Afghanistan. Soviet patrols, bandits, and highwaymen were the most immediate threat. The soviets would no doubt attempt to arrest Sousuke and his friends as spies if they were caught, and the others would likely try to shake them down for their weapons and cash.

Sousuke was likely in the greatest danger. Farzen knew that the soviets had long had an execute on sight order for Sousuke and Kalinin thanks to their backgrounds. It was a part of Sousuke's history that even Farzen and Massoud knew little about, but what he had told them was disturbing in the extreme.

It was no secret that the Soviet State was fanatical in its pursuit of intelligence and control. Some of their institutions had long been 'open' secrets to those that faced them. There was the Sparrow school, which trained young women in the art of seduction for use as spies and assassins. Some said they used teen orphans for the task, as they lacked records and often times already held the mindset their controllers felt was ideal for the task.

Then, there was Sousuke, a child assassin. The KGB had apparently taken a number of boys from the state orphanages and trained them for the special task. In the KGB, they were known as the Hawks.

Sousuke had been among the first 'class' of children educated for the purpose. He had been battered and abused as part of the training by KGB interrogators, and Spetsnaz sergeants had drilled him in combat, reinforcing their lessons with corporal punishment. By the time he had graduated, what little remnants of childhood that had survived his time in the orphanage had fled his mind.

Then he'd been sent on his first mission. Farzen had been just a year older than the boy that had stood outside the newly built school when Massoud arrived to inspect the newly built facility deep inside the Northern Alliance's territories. As Massoud walked past, the boy had produced a silenced Makarov pistol and brought it to bear against Massoud. When he pulled the trigger, nothing happened.

Either Allah himself or the fates had decided to ensure the boy failed, and when Massoud's guards had seized the boy and interrogated him, Massoud decided to take the boy in. He gave him a new name, Kashim, and a home of sorts.

It was three years later that Farzen met Kashim for the first time. The boy and his shell-shocked look and silent demeanor shocked him. Anyone who tried to touch him beside, Sediqa - Massoud's wife, found themselves in need of the bonesetter. He was a little devil of a child, but an expert fighter despite how the AKM he carried often looked larger than he was.

Farzen had tried to be friendly with the boy, as his job as a courier often saw him paired with Kashim as a bodyguard. It was slow going, as Kashim had little interest in what most young boys did. Still, slowly he got used to the crazy soldier.

Zaid, one of the younger volunteers in the Northern Alliance slowly came to mentor Kashim, and as time went on Farzen saw Sousuke seem to brighten somewhat. He could play in the water like a child, and joke with Zaid. Then Zaid's unit had been destroyed. Only Kashim survived.

Kashim seemed to collapse as a result. He grew his hair out and abandoned the pakol, leaving his hair uncovered as if in rebellion against Massoud. This was only further complicated by the arrival of the Russian defector in their ranks, Kalinin. Much like how Zaid had taken Kashim under his wing, Kalinin began to mentor the boy turning into a second father figure of sorts for Kashim. At the same time, the Russian knew more of the boy's history including his true name, a name he had not spoken since his capture.

Sagara Sousuke, the lone survivor of a plane crash by a JAL airliner off Kamchatka. Kalinin had pulled Sousuke from the wreckage and taken him to an orphanage. He had attempted to adopt the boy, but had been stymied time and again until Sousuke had been deployed.

Then, as the war turned into a static quagmire, Kalinin left, taking Kashim along with him. They became mercenaries, which occasionally popped up in the rumors in camp.

Now Kashim, the hardened and downright dangerous soldier Farzen had known was a much more human person then he'd ever been before. He was still stoic, gruff, and obsessed with safety, security, and military matters, but... he smiled. He had even learned to joke and relax a bit. His stay in Japan had done him a world of good, in Farzen's opinion, and if there was one cause for the transformation, it lay in the girl.

Farzen hadn't been around enough to really form a firm opinion of Kaname Chidori. Her clothing choices and attitude rubbed him the wrong way thanks to his upbringing, but then he saw how Sousuke looked up to her. There was a fierceness about her that seemed to match Sousuke's hardened edge, but the thing that struck him the most was how much more alive she seemed then Sousuke. If there was one woman in his experience that Farzen could compare her too, it was Sediqa.

Massoud was an odd man in many ways for an Afgan. His wife was as much a fighter, in her own way, as he was. Some in camp called her 'the lioness' at her ability to get her way from their leader. Like many more outspoken members of the female community, she wasn't the sort to wear the veil or the burwa, instead following the code of hijaab with the more traditional head scarf and baggy clothing.

There were arguments that even the camp witnessed between the pair, one of the most common being an almost yearly argument when the front grew hot and Massoud tried to get his wife to leave for the compartive safety of Iran. He won that one, usually, and their dear leader's family packed up and left leaving Massoud to fight the war until the weather made the front static once more.

Kaname, like Sediqa, could argue... as her fierce snaps at Sousuke over the additional protective features being added to her apartment proved.

Farzen had to respect her though... While he hadn't been able to gather much information, the little that Sabine had provided hinted that she was a fighter, even he had been stunned upon hearing that the teen had fought beside Sousuke against the Americans.

A long sigh broke his chain of thought and Farzen glanced up as the blonde rubbed her head. She slowly sat back and shut her eyes. "Melissa!"

The Asian looking woman that had her boots up on the table glanced over at her. "Yes Tessa?"

"I need you and Weber-san, I have to go to some offices and sign some agreements." Tessa said before rubbing her eyes. "Production licensing agreements and so forth... It should be more than enough to get our own facility setup, at least."

"Really?" The German asked as he glanced over at Tessa. "How much is that worth?"

"A lot, Weber-san. For planes a production license agreement can often be worth billions of dollars, as a single F-23J will cost over one-hundred-and-fifty million dollars and if they wanted to replace the F-15J and F-15DJ you're talking about two hundred aircraft. For ships..." Tessa actually smiled at that. "Well, it can be worth even more, depending on the number built. If the JMSDF wants to buy eleven of the _Firblog_-class Submarine to replace its current lineup, then... we could easily make billions in licensing."

Farzen stared, it sounded as though the group would soon have more money than the total United Front in Afghanistan, perhaps orders of magnitude more. No wonder Sousuke could afford a gold plated rifle.

* * *

**3 April 2000, 09:11 hrs.  
Moscow, Russia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics**  
**Office of the Premier of the Soviet Union, Kremlin**

Comrade General Vladimir Stochkin wiped his grubby and fat fingers with a white table cloth before glancing back at the mauled remains of his breakfast of black bread and butter. As the food was removed he pulled a fat cigar from his pocket and lit it with practiced ease before taking a long puff on Cuban tobacco.

The office was ornate, filled with soviet reds and gold, dark red-wood bookshelves, and a desk vast enough to lay a strategic map of the soviet state upon without it dropping over the sides. Slowly Stochkin pulled out a pocket watch and flipped it open before nodding to himself.

"Comrade Premier, the General Staff has arrived as you requested." The lieutenant by the door announced.

"Send them in." Stochkin stated flatly before glancing over to the door. The assorted generals and admirals that held the highest rank stepped inside followed by Vladimir Kryuchkov, head of the KGB. A moment later the group sat on the long table as their chief aide opened his map case and began to lay out a vast operations map of Afghanistan. It was General Sergey Shoygu, Commander of the 40th Army, which spoke first, leaning over the map and placing a series of pins on various points, marking the current location of troops.

"Comrade, as per the instructions past to me by STAVKA, I have prepared a briefing on Operation Tempest." Sergey stated as he finished laying out the various pins and markers that showed the position of the current forces in Afghanistan. "Currently in theater, we have the 5th Guards Motorized Rifle Division based in Kushka, the 108th Motorized Rifle Division in Termez, the 103rd Guards Airborne Division and 345th Separate Guards Airborne Regiment on search and destroy operations throughout the theatre." He chewed his lip, "Resistance has been stiffest in Badakhshan Province, especially in the area around Fayzabad, and the local soviet forces have made multiple requests for strategic assistance and the use of... non-conventional arms to dislodge the insurgent positions there. We have also transferred the Special Battalion Vostok and Zapad to the theater for use by Alfa Group."

"Alfa Group has been consulted for this operation." The KGB chairman stated. "I believe that a swift decapitation strike in Fayzabad, against this... General Majhid will greatly decrease the amount of resistance we face."

"Da, cut off the head of the snake and it will die." Stochkin observed simply. "What about Zenith Group?"

"They have been consulted as well," General Shogyu stated before giving a shrug. "They were not as forthcoming."

General Stochkin harrumphed at those words. "Have the Guards Divisions recieved their newest weapons?"

"Yes, comrade, though most units report having trouble adapting to the new devices featured aboard the TZy-100s." Shogyu stated before shrugging his shoulders again. "Alfa Group has field tested a compound that will increase compatibility with the devices, but thus far it has not been adopted for general use."

"And the other devices?"

"Deployed as well, they will make up the first line of our advance, Comrade Premier. The Chechen forces are also experienced in their use, thanks to the former loyalty of their leadership." Shogyu said. "STAVKA has also decided that the local request for non-conventional support will be obeyed. As Fayzabad has been the center of enemy resistance, we shall deploy the weapons there against the civilian population. The raid will be conducted by the 136th ShaP."

"The world thinks that the end of Amalgam and Mithril brought an end to the threat of Black Technology." The grizzled voice echoed in the briefing room in the Kremlin, cigar smoke filled the dimly lit room as the thickset man leaned back and took a long pull on his smoldering cigar.

Comrade General Stochkin, Premier of the Soviet Union, and the single hardest liner to hold the post since Stalin himself glanced back at the map, which filled the table. "Do you anticipate foreign protest that could actually do anything to our position?"

The Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs shook his head. Slowly Stochkin glanced around the group and chuckled darkly. "We shall see what this new toys are capable of."

* * *

**3 April 2000, 13:49 hrs.  
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan  
Miyama Camera, Meiji Dori**

Shinji Kazama picked up a digital camera from the shelf and glanced at it for a few moments, checking the specifications before nodding to himself. Beside him, Kyoko was examining another camera, as she knew that her small pocket camera she'd used in school was really unsuitable for professional photography. She had an older fashioned professional camera which used film as well as a digital pocket camera that she kept a short video of Kaname beating up a thug who had tried to threaten her.

"I hope these are rugged enough." Shinji finally said as he glanced at Kyoko.

"They'll be fine..." Kyoko said before selecting her camera for the trip. "We should probably take some pictures to get used to them."

"Yeah."

* * *

**3 April 2000, 15:03 hrs.**  
**Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan**  
**Room 334, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Sagara Sousuke set down the gun cases in his room and let out a sigh. He hadn't shown Kaname all the equipment he'd purchased. It really wasn't something he wanted to reveal to Kyoko or Shinji either. The amount of things he had procured would certainly make it seem as if he had been preparing for a war to them. Kaname probably knew there was more than flak vests and an ornately crafted AKM in the boxes that had arrived.

He ran a hand nervously through his hair before he picked up the heaviest of the boxes and tore it open revealing a number of larger ammunition tins loaded with 5.45x49 and 7.62x54R rounds. Each was of the new 'splat' type that he had found of great use as a Mithril operative. While not exactly legal by the Geneva and Hague conventions, the rounds were designed to fragment after a small explosive charge was set off from their impact. This made the rounds ideal for use against unarmored terrorists and combating opponents in urban or hostage scenarios as the risk of over penetration was minuet.

Ammunition though, was little more than a loud firecracker without a gun to fire it from, and he had purchased more than one for the occasion. The thought of returning to Afghanistan had filled him with nervous tension, but he knew what to expect from the country and that alone meant that he would be going in much better prepared for the situation.

His normal selection of weapons was meant for a more civilized environment, Afghanistan required weapons that were tougher and more dependable than most places in the world.

He popped open one of the gun cases and pulled out his an AK-74M Assault Rifle, as he had requested the rifle was fitted with one of the new aim point sighting systems that could be integrated to the butterfly mounting system, as well as adding a ring to the stock so it could be clipped into the web gear of a ballistic vest. With practiced ease he checked the action, letting the heavy milled block of metal that was the receiver slam home on an empty chamber and nodded to himself.

Kaname would kill him when he told her.

Sousuke did not trust in his own ability to guard Kaname in Afghanistan. He knew that Majhid would have his own guard, and protection of a sort, but Afghanistan would very much be a hostile place. The Glock she now carried wouldn't be enough, not if some of the locals decided to target her. There was power in the visible weapon, a warning to stay away.

He couldn't teach her to use it until they arrived, as there really wasn't any place with room enough for rifle training. He had chosen the smaller 5.45x39mm cartridge as it would be easier for her smaller frame to compensate for, and unlike a true scope or the weapon's adjustable iron sights, the aim point would be easier and more intuitive for her to use.

Sousuke set the rifle down on the top of its case and opened the second case. He removed his rifle for the trip.

In the deserts of Afghanistan, there was one rifle that the insurgents prized among all others, the SVD Dragunov. Perhaps it was because the Soviets only issued one per platoon, or perhaps it was because the visible distance in Afghanistan was so much further then Europe and the heavier rifle round was of more use. Sousuke as a youth in Afghanistan had found the SVD to be too long and unwieldy, even the shortened version. He had tried the old Mosin-Nagant M38 Carbines that occasionally appeared in camp, but found the recoil to be excessive and almost painful for a small boy of Japanese descent.

It wasn't until he and Kalinin had left that Sousuke first really had taken to sniper rifles, in the jungles of Cambodia, he had picked up a CZ 550 and gave Gauron his first facial scar. He had grown, and as he did the utility of the larger rifles began to appeal to him once again. After he had been caught up in another of the Middle Eastern Wars as a mercenary, he had picked up a PSL rifle, the Romanian produced variant of the AK-47 that fired the larger rifle round and used it as a sniper.

All that brought him to his latest weapon. Sousuke had gone through the whole gambit of 7.62x54R rifles when choosing what he would bring to Afghanistan. The SVD Dragunov had appealed at first, but it wasn't quite as reliable as a true AK pattern rifle would be. The Zastava M76 and M92 had also appealed to him, as they were true AK system sniper rifles. The Saiga .308 hunting rifle had also been a contender, as a version existed that fired the soviet rifle round, but in the end Sousuke decided to go back to the familiar Romanian PSL.

He pulled the rifle from its case and ran hand along its side checking the recently fitted polymer stocks that had replaced the wooden ones. The Russian made POSP 8x42D scope he had asked for was already fitted and Sousuke saw that it seemed to have been zeroed once already, a process he would have to repeat on arriving in Afghanistan as he doubted the weapon remained zeroed.

Sousuke knew that Weber would likely mock his choice of a rifle, preferring the VSS Vintorez and his ridiculously pricey Walther WA 2000 rifle, but then he doubted Weber would ever consider having to barter for rifle rounds with the locals or what the dust and dirt of the Afghan desert would do to his precious WA 2000.

The door to the hotel room opened and Sousuke stiffened as Kaname walked into the room, her nose upturned as she stomped toward the bathroom and closed the door. He froze where he stood and scowled to himself. "Kaname? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong!" Kaname snapped back immediately through the door. "Weber was just being a bloody idiot!"

Sousuke's scowl deepened at those words. "Kaname?"

"I'm fine, just kill Kurz next time you see him." She said before opening the door and peeking out into the room.

"Affirmative."

Kaname glanced over at the two rifles and her eyebrow twitched. "Sousuke, what are you doing?"

"Organizing the equipment for our journey," Sousuke said as he set the rifle down. "It is best that I have everything prepared. I believe Shinji and Kyoko are preparing as well. Have you selected what clothes you shall bring with you?"

"Yes... Sousuke, why are there two rifles? Surely you are not going to carry both of them into Afghanistan. I know the other is a gift for your father but what about-"

"I will be carrying this one." Sousuke stated as he checked the action on the PSL and lifted it to his shoulder. Then he lowered it and nodded to himself. "The second... is for you."

"Eh?" Kaname gaped. "But... but... I do not know how to use a rifle. I can barely use a pistol and—"

"I hope you do not need to use it Kaname, but the deterrent it will provide should be considered, and... a rifle is actually easier to wield with just a few lessons compared to the pistol. Especially an AK patterned weapon." Sousuke said as he turned to her.

"Nani? Easier?" Kaname stared at the rifle sitting on the gun case and swallowed. "How can that THING be easier to use?"

"It is... difficult to explain, but a rifle is more easily aimed in most circumstances, more accurate, and—"

Kaname sighed and harrumphed before walking over to the rifle and picking it up by the end of the barrel and glaring at it. "Fine, show me."

Sousuke nodded and stepped beside her, taking the weapon from her hands. "Very well, it is a Kalashnikov AK-74M or Automatic Kalashnikov model 1974 modernized Assault Rifle." He turned the weapon on its side and tapped the lever which acted as fire selector, safety, and dust cover. "It has two modes of fire, fully automatic and semi-automatic. The movies you like almost always have them being used in fully-automatic. At the top position, the weapon is 'safe' you see the top had slipped over the chamber and is acting like a dust cover, preventing the action from being worked. One position down is 'automatic' where the weapon will fire as long as you hold down the trigger and there is ammunition in the magazine. Two positions down is 'semi-automatic' where the weapon will fire once each time you pull the trigger, like your pistol."

Kaname nodded, but Sousuke could tell she didn't fully understand. He would probably have to find a way to show her soon after they reached Afghanistan. Sousuke then pushed what looked to Kaname like a simple metal clip and pulled out the empty magazine. "The magazine can hold thirty rounds, which it can fire in less than three seconds. To insert a magazine one simple pivots it into the receiver until it clicks." He demonstrated as he spoke with an empty magazine and then pulled the charging lever. "Then it's ready to fire."

"Sights?" Kaname asked.

"Well, that is the most complicated bit. Normally you would use a set of iron sights that are adjustable from 100 to 1000 meters. Instead I thought this would be better." He tapped the box which sat atop with its glowing green aimpoint reticle. "It is similar to the holographic sights used on American rifles, and really is better for close combat." He stepped behind Kaname and slowly slipped the rifle into her arms, taking her hands and moving them to the proper position on the rifle. He heard Kaname's breath quicken as he leaned over her shoulder. "Now... just look down the barrel, keeping the rifle tight to your body... good. Do you see the green arrow point?"

"Hai... That is the sight?" Kaname asked.

"Yes, it is accurate out to one hundred meters right now, but could be adjusted for longer ranges. I do not believe that will be necessary however." Sousuke said. "You see how much less the sight wobbles then with a pistol?"

"Hai, it is easier... in a way." Kaname said before slowly lowering the gun and moving the selector switch to 'safe'. "Sousuke... are you sure you want me to carry this?"

"Yes, Kaname... I may not like you having to defend yourself, to defend me... but I will not hesitate to give you the tools to do so. Not anymore." Sousuke said as he gently took the gun from her arms and Kaname nodded.

"I hope it is not as dangerous as you believe... When will we leave?" Kaname asked.

Sousuke sighed. "Tomorrow morning. I will have to have everything ready by tonight..."

"I'll help."

* * *

**3 April 2000, 11:43 hrs.  
3000 meters over the Afghan Desert  
Special Battalion Vostok (Chechen Volunteers), GRU**

Dzhabrail Yamadayev, sat in the belly of the Ilyushin Il-76 with a brand new silence AN.94 Abkaban balanced between his knees. Across from him, his brother, Sulim, twirled a PMm Makarov pistol as he chewed his lip nervously. Another of the soldiers idly toyed with the ballistic knife in his hand. The plane shuddered every few minutes from turbulence in the mountain regions.

"I did not expect us to be sent here." Sulim said after a moment.

Dzhabrail nodded as he glanced around the massive hold. "It is not that unsurprising... Our war was along similar lines. Muslim Chechen against Russian Christian and so forth."

Sulim shrugged his shoulders. "I understand that Dzhabrail, but why us?"

"Because we know how to fight this sort of war, and... we're seen as expendable to the General Staff." Dzhabrail chewed his lip for a moment. "Not to mention we, as former members of a certain group, know the capabilities of those weapons." He jerked his head toward the pallats which had tarps hastily thrown over them. "The Alastors wouldn't be something most others would know how to handle."

"I know, I know." Sulim said before letting out a sigh. "A pity Amalgam fell, you were right to leave it brother. When the KGB contacted you, I was most surprised."

Dzhabrail chuckled. "I was too, but then Amalgam and the Soviets have had a long history. How are the men?"

"Nervous, but that is no surprise. These Ts-APP Alastors, how different are they from the old ones?" Sulim asked.

"Not very, except that we have newer and better weapons for them." Dzhabrail said as he sat back. "I am nervous with Alfa being in overall command of this operation, but... orders are orders, and I rather like my new apartment."

* * *

**3 April 2000, 21:03 hrs.  
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan  
Room 334, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Kaname let out a tired sigh as she dropped the last of her packed bags for the trip onto the still unused second bed in the room. In fact it technically wasn't a bag. Sousuke had very early on pointed out that most of the time in Afghanistan, it was more common for one to walk then find a ride, and as a result he had produced a pair of large military style hiking packs. He had gone on to buy her other more useful items for the trip as well without her knowledge. There were a set of heavy hiking boots, wool socks, sock lining, several pairs of tough cargo pants in a blue-grey color, a headscarf that matched, and an ammunition poutch that clipped into the large hiking pack.

Into this, Sousuke had packed away six magazines for the AK-74M, four magazines for the Glock 26, two cans of pepper spray, her TASER, and a spare battery for the device.

Kaname was beginning to think that Sousuke intended to turn her into a pack mule until she saw Sousuke at work, clipping a medical bag to the harness, a bedroll, four visible stun grenades which hooked into the hiking pack, and she was certain a complete arsenal had been hidden throughout the pack, the pockets of whatever he planned to wear, his boots, and perhaps even the inside of his pakol. He had a survival kit, survival knife, gasmasks and NBC clothing, binoculars, piano wire, ten MREs, a deluxe package of milk chocolate bars, bottles of water, a hand pumped water filter, iodine tablets, sulfa packages, a small camp stove, a folding shovel, shaving kit, and all the 'essentials' of toiletries and clothing for a week. How all of it fit was beyond her, not to mention how Sousuke could lug around a pack she was sure weighed close to a hundred kilos or more.

After Kaname had packed everything she thought she'd need, Sousuke had then proceeded to add a number of MREs to her pack along with a hundred rounds of ammunition in a zip lock bag for her rifle. Kaname was sure she'd be unable to walk under the load, until Sousuke had swung it up over her shoulders and strapped her into it, adjusting the straps so it conformed to her body.

Somehow the nearly fifty kilos of weight seemed almost light when the pack made her carry it properly. It may have been difficult to bend over, or run, but she guessed that she could walk a fair distance with the pack.

That had been her bag, and beside the weapon case for his father's gift, Sousuke had crammed everything into his pack or attached it to the pack somehow as well. They were ready.

Sousuke nervously glanced at the packed gear, and let out a long sigh as Kaname sat beside him. He looked up at her for a moment before smiling faintly. "Kaname, are you sure you wish to go with me?"

"Yes." Kaname said before glancing at him. "Do you want me not to?"

"Negative, I believe I am just nervous. I am taking you somewhere dangerous, intentionally... It goes against my instincts. I... I want you safe Kaname."

She nodded. "I know... but I want to do this Sousuke, this is your father we're talking about! I may not be on the best of terms with mine, but you should at least take the chance to reconnect with him."

"Kalinin was more of a father to me that Massoud." Sousuke said quietly. "And look what happened."

"I don't think Massoud will betray you, Sousuke! Don't you trust Zalad?" Kaname asked.

Sousuke slowly nodded. "I do... but, it is Afghanistan... friends can so easily become enemies. There was a time when Gauron was my ally there, when I would have gladly shot Kalinin or even Majhid." He shuddered. "It is not a nice place Kaname."

"I never said it was, but it made you who you are." Kaname said quietly. "Everything becomes experience."

"Yes, everything becomes experience..." Sousuke agreed before letting out a long sigh. "Kaname, it broke me... I know I am not like other soldiers, I've had to do so much..."

"You don't seem so broken anymore, Sousuke." With that last word she kissed his cheek right above the cross shaped scar. "I love you."

He blushed and looked down. "And I love you, Kaname. I'd chase you to the ends of the Earth."

"Once was more than enough." Kaname said before tugging his arm. "Come to bed, it might be the last time we can sleep together for a while."

"Hai... it will be, but just for a while." Sousuke said quietly and Kaname could see him shiver at the thought of the nightmares each of them would soon have to endure. She tugged him to bed and pulled him under the covers, snuggling close to him hoping enjoy what comfort she could get from him.

She let out a quiet sigh of contentment before smirking faintly. "Sousuke… there's one other thing we won't be able to do for a while."

"Hmm?"

"Make love." She whispered as her cheeks flushed brightly. "Sousuke… Make love to me."

His hand grabbed hers, and Kaname felt a warm feeling fill her as he stared at her with his pewter colored eyes. Her body felt warm as he leaned closer and kissed her on the lips. "Not a problem."


	3. Going Home

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

**Volume 2:** A Family Visit  
**Chapter 3: **Going Home

* * *

**Transit **1. _n._ The act of passing over, across, or through something. 2. _n._ The conveyance of people or goods from one place to another, especially on a public transportation system; the vehicles used for such conveyance. 3. _n._ (astronomy) The passage of a celestial body across the observer's meridian, or across the disk of a larger celestial body. 4._ n. _A surveying instrument rather like a theodolite that measures horizontal and vertical angles. 5. _n._ (navigation) an imaginary line between two objects whose positions are known. When the navigator sees one object directly in front of the other, then navigator knows that his position is on the transit. 6. _n._ (UK) a Ford Transit van. 7. _n._ (Internet) to carry communications traffic to and from a customer or another network on a compensation basis as opposed to peerage in which the traffic to and from another network is carried on an equivalency basis or without charge. 8. _v._ To pass over, across or through something. 9. _v._ To revolve an instrument about its horizontal axis so as to reverse its direction. 10. _v._ (astronomy, intransitive) To make a transit.

* * *

**4 April 2000, 04:30 hrs.  
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan  
Hotel Lobby, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel**

Sousuke groaned as the alarm in the room went off and he blinked his eyes open. At the same moment he heard a familiar whimper and felt Kaname burrow her way deeper into his arms. A slight smile slid across his face as he felt Kaname's slight frame press against him. Her warmth delighted his senses as she nuzzled him in her semi-conscious state. Careful not to disturb her too much, Sousuke reached out for the alarm and turned it off. As the beeps faded, Kaname groaned.

"Kaname..." Sousuke whispered quietly to her, before brushing her shoulder carefully. "Kaname, you need to wake up."

"Carbon monofilament wire has a tensile..." She murmured in a monotone voice that Sousuke learned to associate with the whispers. A groan came from her as her eyes blinked open and she sunk limply on top of him. "Morning..."

Sousuke ran a hand through her beautiful hair and kissed her temple. He'd learned early on that Kaname was as far from a morning person as was possible. She suffered from low blood pressure during the night, a phenomenon that Sousuke hadn't encountered before he arrived in Japan. This gave the girl headaches during the morning, and a tiredness that couldn't be burned away until she'd had a long hot shower. When Kaname began to slowly push herself off his chest and her eyes gave him that familiar glazed look that seemed exclusive to her first five minutes being awake, he sighed. "Go and get your shower, Kaname... you'll feel better. I'm sure."

She nodded and slid out of bed, padding over to the restroom as Sousuke watched her stumble as she walked. Her slim figure slipped out of sight as she shut the door and Sousuke let out a relieved sigh.

The changes in their relationship over the last few weeks had been mind boggling to him, and at times Sousuke felt as if he was being overwhelmed. Sharing an apartment had been an immense step, and Kaname had immediately gone and taken it from simply sharing an apartment to sharing a bed. She had held tight to him during the night, and both of them had woken to nightmares only calming as the other held tight to them. He'd become something like a security blanket for her during the night.

Then just a few days earlier, their relationship had shifted again. Despite the intimacy of sleeping together, they hadn't moved beyond kissing and cuddling. That had changed in the aftermath of the American abduction attempt, and the last barrier to intimacy Sousuke held had broken. Kaname and he had crossed the threshold together, expressing their love in a language neither of them could possibly misinterpret.

Their first time had been awkward, driven more by an emotional need to ensure the other was there and alive than anything else. Despite this, they had soon embraced this newfound element of their relationship. Kaname, Sousuke had long known was a passionate and strong woman. It had been, if he was honest with himself, one of the things that had attracted him to her. While most of their classmates were attracted to her more by her idol like appearance, Sousuke had paid little heed to it at first. She was beautiful, but that wasn't the lone element to his attraction, far from it. The fiery persona, temper, and stubbornness, traits that were considered bad by most of her classmates were the very things that drew him in.

She would tell him what she thought, even if the only way to express her displeasure was the impact of a paper fan over the head. Then there was the strength Kaname displayed. She wasn't just strong... Melissa was strong to, but Kaname had a strength that was separate from his world, a strength that showed him that she could survive in his... and she showed him a life beyond his own, a life which some part of him wished for. When he first met her, Sousuke had been considering leaving Mithril, his own experiences and life were firmly at odds with the ideology and mission of the organization.

Then Sousuke got a taste of peace, and he found his world view shattered. He no longer fought for the paycheck, he fought to save others. Then he fought for Kaname, to save her.

What he had never expected was for her to fight to save him, just as he fought to save her. The first time he saw her pick up the Glock 26 had been a shock. To see her take a life to save his own had been even more of a turning point for Sousuke. He knew that from that point on Kaname would not settle for simply being protected. It had been the grudging acceptance of that fact which had driven him to procure AK-74M for her use. Kaname was stronger than even Sousuke had known, and she'd shown that to him.

Then she'd shown him more than that. Sousuke may not have been much of a follower of Islam, but he considered the act of sex a sacred commitment. Internally Sousuke knew that he had pledge himself to her, many times over, but since that night Sousuke began to feel that there was no other place for him besides being by her side.

He loved her, and the fact that she loved him in turn astonished him more every day. Almost as much as how much their love seemed to grow by the day. The harisen of hers had disappeared from her arsenal, replaced by an instrument that struck him with more force than it ever had. Her disapproval itself made him cringe. An upset Kaname was something he wanted to avoid. He preferred her happy, lively, and safe.

As the sound of her hot shower filled the room Sousuke's mind turned toward the night before. Kaname's passionate nature and athleticism combined as they made love. It had been a night of burning hot kisses, tangled limbs, and exhausted bodies. Clothes lay tangled all across the floor where they lay, tossed aside during the passionate start of the evening.

Sousuke's cheeks flushed as he remembered. The little happy sounds Kaname made and the blissful look on Kaname's face as she arched her back in sync with his movements. His face was a dark red as the door to the restroom opened and Kaname slipped out into the room wrapped in a towel. Her face turned red as she saw Sousuke and she bent over one of her bags, grabbing a set of clothes for the day.

His blushed faded as he sat up. "We have a busy day today Kaname... Farzen has arranged for our transport, but the first leg will be out of Tokyo. I considered a Chofu flight, but there aren't any."

Kaname nodded as she slipped out the towel and hurriedly pulled on her underwear, blushing all the while. As she finished, she turned to him. "What about security... we're carrying weapons."

Sousuke nodded and pulled a pair of identification cards from the dresser. "Tessa gave us these. They're Sword and Shield Identification cards, which will let us carry weapons on the flight. I can handle it on the other end if need be. India is far from the least corrupt nation on Earth. A few American dollars and we'll be cleared without any trouble."

"And then we're flying to Pakistan... I guess they are even less trouble?" Kaname said with a frown.

"Yes. I may not need to bribe them at all if I tell them our destination is Afghanistan." Sousuke shrugged. "Even Japan and America are not without corruption. Most of the African nations are far worse."

Kaname pulled a set of cargo pants from her bag and slipped into them before answering him. "Tokiwa and Kazama are ready?"

"Hai, they will be seated with us, if you're worried," Sousuke said. "Of course, during the flight into Afghanistan, we'll be the only passengers I believe. Well, beside Farzen."

"Take a shower Sousuke, it'll be the last we get for a while, won't it?" Kaname said quietly.

"I will." Sousuke said before slipping out of bed. He stopped and gave Kaname a peck on the cheek before slipping past her into the bathroom. "I love you."

"I love you too, Sousuke."

* * *

**4 April 2000, 09:53 hrs.  
Tokyo, Japan  
Haneda International Airport**

Shinji smiled faintly as he stood before the counter with his bags, he was really doing this. The excitement and nervousness that ran through him seemed almost electrifying. Beside him, Kyoko was nervously glancing around the area glancing down at her passport every few minutes before glancing back at the entrance. Then, finally the three figures they'd been waiting for arrived.

Farzen Zalad walked in, looking rather out of place with his baseball cap and Afghan features followed by Sousuke and Kaname. It took a moment for Kazama to realize what he was seeing when the two swung large packs off their backs and set them down as they joined the line. Shinji's eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of the three gun cases that they'd carried in and nervously swallowed.

The queue shuffled forward and after a few more minutes the group was at the counter, where Sousuke pushed his way forward. As Shinji and Kyoko's bags were loaded he pulled out a set of papers from his breast pocket. "Ma'am... Miss Chidori and I have authorization for these arms, and a permit to carry weapons aboard a flight. I therefore must ask that you not search our baggage."

The woman paled at those words and nervously took the paperwork from him. "Sword and Shield? I... I have to check that this is authorized."

"That is fine." Sousuke stated patiently as the woman picked up the phone. "Would my old Mithril ID accelerate the process?"

The agent swallowed and shook her head. "That is alright, sir." Shinji watched as the woman spoke quickly on the phone, and a moment later the supervisor and head of security appeared. They examined the documents and found a bar code which they hastily scanned in, finding that the computer acknowledged his clearance. A moment later, Kaname stepped forward and the process was repeated.

Shinji shook his head as he followed them to the security checkpoint. Once again, Sousuke pulled out his id and Shinji took this to mean that his friend was carrying a weapon aboard, which was confirmed a moment later when Sousuke pulled his Glock 17 from its hiding place, removed the magazine and handed it to the security officer. "I have loaded it with frangible ammunition, so that there is no risk of decompression in the event of accidental discharge or I must combat a hijacking attempt." He explained as the security officer just stared at the weapon in surprise. Looking rather disturbed, the officer looked over the weapon before handing it back to Sousuke.

Shinji had been about to follow him when Kaname pulled out her id as well and produced a Glock 26. Beside him, Kyoko gaped as the officer swallowed nervously and let her through as well. After that, the group went through without incident and hurried to their terminal. They arrived thirty minutes before boarding was to begin and sat down.

Kyoko was the first to ask. "Kana-chan, I didn't realize you... you were bringing it as well."

"Yeah, well... after what's happened. It seemed like a good idea." Kaname shrugged.

"Zalad, what about your stuff? I thought you had a gun." Shinji asked.

"Packed with Sousuke's gear." Zalad muttered. "I could get it through customs but Sousuke insisted."

"I would rather do this legally, as much as I can." Sousuke stated. "You will get the Krinkov back."

"Why did you bring three rifles... or was one of the cases just for Zalad's gun?" Shinji asked.

Sousuke shook his head. "One is a gift, this you have heard. One is a PSL-54C, a Kalashnikov pattern sniper rifle for my own use. I broke down the Krinkov and stowed its parts among the other cases. The last case contains an AK-74M..."

"Sousuke, you're not carrying two rifles, are you?" Shinji asked. He'd seen American soldiers carry short barreled shotguns into combat along with a normal rifle, but never a man carrying two full rifles.

"No, the AK is for Kaname's protection." Sousuke said quietly.

Shinji gaped. "But... what about Kyoko and I?"

"You are not targets, Kaname is... I am." Sousuke stated flatly. "Her safety is my highest priority, and if that requires giving her a rifle... so be it."

Shinji shut his mouth and glanced out the window for a long moment. When Sousuke put it like that, it made a great deal of sense. Still, it didn't sound like he was happy with the situation at all.

The windows shook in their frame as an enormous plane rumbled down the runway in the distance. Shinji chewed his lip for a moment before glancing at his friend. "You really are worried."

"Yes." Sousuke admitted. "It is a war zone, Shinji. I hope you know enough to listen to me when we arrive."

"Of course, Sousuke, you are the expert." Shinji said.

"Flight 1774 is now boarding..."

Sousuke nodded before he stood. "Let's go."

The group of five shuffled through boarding, and Shinji took the window seat. Kyoko sat beside him and produced a book as Farzen took the seat by the aisle. Across from them, Kaname and Sousuke sat down in the center row. Soon after takeoff, Shinji watched in surprise as the two fell fast asleep, leaning against each other.

Kyoko giggled to herself as Farzen shook his head. "Kashim..."

Shinji couldn't help but smile as he watched the two of them.

The flight was a long one, far longer than the hijacked trip to Korea from two years earlier had been. Shinji pulled out a tattered book from his pocket and flipped it open starting to read. Beside him Kyoko had curled up with a book of her own.

After several hours the rumble of the engines changed and Shinji watched as the clouds began to thin outside his window. An urban jungle sprawled out below them as the plane banked toward the airport. He listened as the flaps whined as they were deployed and glanced at Kyoko as the plane began its landing run. Then he looked back toward Sousuke and Kaname, both still asleep in their chairs. The rumble of the plane's landing gear lowering filled the cabin and Shinji felt himself smile as Kyoko took his hand.

Touchdown was rough, and Shinji grimaced as Sousuke and Kaname both snapped awake as the engines roared. He'd read that on landing most airliners actually reversed thrust, hence why the engine's seemed to roar so loud as the plane rumbled down the runway. A few seconds later, the noise died.

Kaname stretched and yawned as Sousuke frowned slightly. The seatbelt sign flashed and winked off as the plane came to a stop at the terminal. Kyoko grinned at the two of them. "Long night?"

"Maybe..." Kaname said before giving them an impish smile.

Sousuke clambered out of the seat and pulled out a set of tickets from his breast pocket. The five of them headed out into the concourse as Sousuke explained they had a layover just long enough to get lunch. He exchanged some money for Indian rupees and directed them to a small curry shop. The Japanese travelers were surprised at how different the curry was from back home, while Farzen and Zalad discussed their next stop: Peshawar International Airport.

After the food, they made their way to the gate for their next plane and soon were packed inside. This, their second flight was aboard a smaller plane, and the five of them took up one whole row of seats. Soon they were in the air again, for a flight that to most of them seemed to be almost hilariously short compared to the last one.

Shinji however saw a change coming over Sousuke as the plane circled to land. Outside the windows, the land was growing more rugged by the moment, and trees became sparse. Looking down, Shinji saw that the vegetation itself seemed to be turning a dusty yellow. As the plane lined up for the final approach, Shinji saw Sousuke's knee bounce nervously as the plane lined up for landing.

Kaname saw it too, and put a hand on his knee causing him to stop fidgeting. A tired sigh came from Sousuke as the plane touched down and slowed to a stop. Shinji glanced out the window and gaped as he saw four C-130 Hercules sitting out on the tarmac decorated in Pakistan's camouflage scheme. Alongside them were a set of Chengdu F-7PG fighters, a plane of Chinese manufacture that Pakistan had bought years earlier. A number of Al-Fwja mechs stood guard over the group of equipment, and a chill ran down Shinji's back as he saw them.

The Al-Fwja, or Immortal Soldier, was a Pakistani version of the RK-92 Savage, which utilized both western and Soviet elements in its design. Externally it looked almost identical to the soviet mech, but the standard load out was western. Like many things in Pakistan, it seemed to be a combination of what both sides of the cold war could produce.

He was really here, and Shinji swallowed the lump which rose in his throat as he glanced at Kyoko and saw her swallow nervously as well. As the rest of the passengers began to leave, Sousuke stayed back and glanced at the rest of them, his normally stoic expression now growing taunt and nervous. Slowly he stood and headed for the front hatch where the last of the other passengers were leaving.

* * *

Sousuke swallowed, he was back. He hadn't even thought about it when he'd seen the itinerary that Farzen had put together, but looking out over the tarmac from the top of the ramp chill ran down his spine. It had been here, Peshawar International Airport where his last trip into Afghanistan had begun. Biting his lip he shook away the wave of depression that nearly overtook him as he remembered that doomed mission.

Slowly he clambered down the ramp and glanced at the baggage that sat waiting. With a sigh, he picked up his pack and swung it over his shoulder and glanced across the tarmac to where an An-12 clad in the white of the United Nations sat waiting. A moment later, Kaname picked up her pack as well and swung it on with a grunt. A faint smile from her burned through his grim thoughts.

He bent to pick up two of the gun cases as the rest of the group grabbed their things. Sousuke took a deep breath. "Farzen, is that our ride?" He asked before nodding toward the An-12.

"Yep." Farzen said as he swapped his ball cap for a pakol and smirked.

"That's... That's a biplane!" Kyoko stammered. "That's our ride?"

"Yeah, it's a really popular plane in the third world." Shinji muttered. "It'll be fine Kyoko."

Sousuke smiled faintly and shook his head as he looked at the plane. As he walked over, the pilot appeared from the hatch with a cigarette clasped between his fingers. He blinked as he caught sight of them and shook his head.

"Farzen, you must be joking! Who the heck are you bringing in this time?" He snapped.

Farzen Zalad chuckled at that and shook his head. "You don't need, or particularly want to know."

Sousuke took a deep breath as he clambered aboard. He was going home.

As the engine sputtered to life and Farzen asked for his Krinkov back Sousuke couldn't help but smile once again as he saw Kaname roll her eyes.

Yes, he was going home… This was just a visit.


	4. First Impressions

_Author's Note: This story is now on an 'Irregular' update schedule, meaning it will be updated when I have time or am bored. It's not dead, at least not yet._

_Also, today I'm launching my second Original Novel through Kindle Direct Publishing: VALKYRIE #1: Candidates. So if you want to support me, and encourage me to write both this story and others I suggest you check it out along with my previous novel 'A Fox's Tale'. The details are in my profile. _

_I'm hoping to eventually make a living writing and thus give myself more time to write stories like this as a hobby. I intend to continue to release more fanfiction when I launch future works as a sort of 'promo' for my original stories. Like it or not, it does mean you get more fanfiction in the future._

* * *

**Sword and Shield**

* * *

**Volume 2:** A Family Visit

**Chapter 4: **First Impressions

* * *

**Impression - **1. _n._ The indentation or depression made by the pressure of one object on or into another. 2. _n._ The overall effect of something, e.g., on a person. 3. _n._ A vague recalling of an event, a belief. 4. _n._ An impersonation, an imitation of the mannerisms of another individual. 5. _n._ An outward appearance. 6. _n._ (advertising) An online advertising performance metric representing an instance where an advertisement is shown once.

* * *

**4 April 2000, 09:53 hrs.**

**Khyber Pass, Afghanistan**

**1,000 meters over the Afghan Desert**

Kaname watched as Sousuke popped open one of his rifle cases on the floor and removed the PSL rifle as the An-2 Cub shuddered around him. He then clipped it into the web gear he wore and loaded a ten round magazine with practiced ease.

While he did this, Farzen finished reassembling the AKS-74U Krinkov that he'd brought along and loaded it. Kaname saw Shinji watch the two of them work, looking fascinated. At the same time, Kyoko was pressed against one of the viewports snapping pictures through the windows.

Sousuke pulled out a pakol cap and pulled it down over his mess of hair before popping open a second gun case and removing the AK-74M from inside. He checked the action once before loading it and handing it over to Kaname. Then he knelt and clipped the weapon into her own web gear before pulling out a second pakol and pulling it down over her head.

She grinned at him for a brief moment before the plane's cabin shimmied once and Sousuke stood up, grabbing hold of a couple bits of the metal superstructure visible above him. "Shinji, Kyoko, Kaname... Listen up!" He said roughly. "We've just crossed the border, from this point on I expect you to follow my lead. General Majhid can speak English, and some of the few formally trained fighters and mercenaries we encounter may speak it as well, but for the vast majority here you will not be able to understand their speech. The local language various depending on the region, though most speak either Pashto or Dari. I speak both, so I can translate relatively easily."

Kaname nodded to herself and swallowed. There'd been times with Amalgam when she'd been stashed in places where she couldn't understand anyone else in the room. At least here she could speak with Sousuke, Kyoko, and Shinji.

"Second, Afghanistan is a war torn country. Go nowhere without the permission of Farzen or me, as there are possible risks to life and limb all across this land: mines, brigands, and terrorists lurk out there. Even in 'secured' areas the threat of artillery, air attack, and so forth still exist. I will protect you as best I can, but this is a dangerous environment. I ask that you all wear the body armor I provided you when outside secured areas." Kaname smiled as she saw Kyoko nod nervously and Shinji swallow a lump that had risen in his throat.

"Once we land, I will take Kaname and teach her to use the rifle she has while Farzen secures our transport to Farzabad, any questions?" Sousuke finished.

No one asked a question. Instead they glanced nervously at each other for a few moments before the shudder of the plane drew their attention again. Farzen clambered back from the pilot's compartment. "We'll be down in about ten minutes or so."

"If this thing doesn't fall apart before we get there." Kyoko said before turning green from another jolt of turbulence.

Farzen chuckled. "Perhaps we should have brought some of the barf bags from the plane, Kashim?"

"They will use them up on the 'Krokodile' to be sure." Sousuke observed before glancing out the window. He grabbed his pack and swung it over his shoulder. "We are almost down."

Moments later the entire plane rocked as it's tires hit the ground and Sousuke nearly toppled from the rough landing. Growling he braced himself as the plane rumbled down the rough field and slowed to a stop. As it started to taxi, he let go of the brace and glanced at the others. "We're down, but the next flight may be worse..."

"Nani?" Kyoko stammered looking wide eyed at him. "How could it be worse?"

"This is a United Nations registered plane, so it wouldn't draw any attention from the soviets. Our next flight won't be on such a craft," Sousuke said as he crouched to glance out the window at the dusty land outside. The poppy field beside the grass airstrip waved in the prop wash as they passed.

The An-2 Cub came to a stop and the lot of them quickly clambered out the hatch onto the dirt strip. A few locals sat watching them along with a rather battered looking ZIL truck.

Sousuke nervously stepped out of the plane and glanced over at Farzan. The young courier made his wave over to the locals and started talking them in rapid fire Farsi. Satisfied that Farzen had the situation under control he glanced over at Kyoko and Shinji.

Kyoko had lifted up her camera to the south-west and was snapping a few shots of the countryside while Shinji was glancing around nervously. A moment later he croaked, "Sousuke, is that poppy?"

"Yes," He said simply before shrugging. "I do like poppy seeds in my bread..."

"Oh... I hadn't thought of that," Shinji said. "I thought it was just used for drugs."

Sousuke shrugged, he knew that most of it would certainly end up being sold to druglords and warlords, but in this case he couldn't blame the farmers. After decades of warfare it was hard to get anything to grow in the Afghan soil, as a result tough plants like Poppy was becoming the preferred cash crop of the land.

Sousuke was nothing if not pragmatic, and so he understood their situation.

"Kashim, I need to take a ride into town to get the message to Majhid for our ride." Farzen suddenly called and Sousuke nodded. "Can you keep these three out of trouble for now?"

"I think so." Sousuke said before Farzen clambered aboard the old ZIL truck. "Do be careful."

"I'm alive, am I not?" Farzen said in turn and grinned.

While they waited for their ride, Sousuke led Kaname to the opposite end of the airstrip. He dumped his gear before pacing out a hundred meters. Every ten meters or so he dropped an item or set up a piece of debris. At ten meters, he dropped an empty water bottle, at fifty meters he stood an old airplane tire on its side, at seventy there was a cargo pallet that he stood up, and at a hundred meters he stood a rusty airplane hatch up.

Kaname realized what he was doing as he strolled on back, glancing over at the junk he'd laid out. It was a target range of sorts, and she knew then that Sousuke would be showing her how to use the rifles he'd brought.

Sousuke pulled a set of ear plugs from his pocket and handed them over to her. "Put these on, I do not wish for you to lose your hearing."

She nodded and put the ear plugs in as Sousuke did the same. A moment later he lifted up his PSL rifle and clicked off the safety. Kaname watched him crouch and stare down the sight of the rifle. Slowly his finger tightened around the trigger before the gun bucked with a loud bang.

A ping echoed from down the range and Sousuke scowled as he lowered the rifle and began to adjust the scope. "Short and left," He muttered under his breath.

"Sousuke?" Kaname asked as she crouched beside him.

"I'm sorry Kaname, I'm zeroing the scope for my rifle. It's a bit of a slow process," Sousuke said.

Kaname bit her lip nodded. "If it is so slow, maybe you should show me how to use this so I can practice on my own for a while." She suggested as she gestured to the AK-74M hanging from her web gear.

"That's an idea, Kaname," Sousuke said as he set the rifle on the ground and straightened up. Gingerly he stepped up behind her. "Okay Kaname, do you remember what I told you in the hotel?"

"Hai," Kaname said as she lifted the rifle into the ready position. Slowly she pulled the rifle tight to her shoulder and stared down the sights, noticing how they lined up roughly like the simple set of sights had for her tazer.

"Safety," Sousuke muttered once and Kaname quickly reached back to the fire selector switch. There was a single click as the selector switch hit auto. Then she pushed down again, setting it to semi-automatic fire.

"Good," Sousuke said. "How's your sight picture?"

Kaname stared down the sight at her chosen target, the airplane tire. "It's fine Sousuke..." She took a deep breath and slowly let it out before squeezing the trigger.

She blinked at the sudden noise and missed where the shot went. Kaname was surprised by how light the recoil had been compared the Glock 26 and glanced over at Sousuke.

"Short, about a meter," Sousuke said quietly before adjusting her stance. "You should crouch. You're a more stable platform then."

Kaname knelt much as Sousuke had and leaned into the rifle. She took aim again, adjusted it slightly and squeezed the trigger. The bang of the rifle was followed by the distinct ping of a bullet flattening itself against the metal of the old aircraft tire and a buzzing sound from the bullet ricochet. Beside her Sousuke stared for a long moment before nodding.

"You learn quickly, just like always." Sousuke observed.

Kaname nodded and kept the target centered in her sights. A second later three more shots rang out in quick succession, pinging off the metal one after another. Then the distinct sound of the air escaping the punctured tire followed.

As Kaname practiced, Sousuke set about zeroing his rifle. When he had emptied a pair of clips full of 7.62x54R ammunition, Sousuke was satisfied with the aim of his rifle. In the same time Kaname managed to empty four clips full of 5.45x39 ammunition. She had grown more and more confident with each shot and even managed to deal a rather decent grouping of shots on fully automatic fire, after Sousuke had shown her how to control a rifle on that setting and use bursts of between three to six rounds instead of emptying the clip like she'd seen on film so many times.

Kaname was loath to admit it, but firing the gun was rather fun in a primal fashion, much like smacking a watermelon with a baseball bat. Still, Kaname knew that it was a weapon, after seeing the grizzly effects of a bullet on a person she was cautious with the gun.

Comparing her accuracy to Sousuke's was a waste of time considering just how proficient he was, and Kaname could see that Sousuke wasn't happy with 'zeroing' the scope until almost every round hit within the an area around the same as a five hundred yen coin.

After Sousuke finished with the rifle he sat cross-legged beside her with a zip-lock bag full of 5.45x39 rifle ammunition and started to reload the magazines she'd emptied. She sat there as the wind blew the poppy blossoms in the fields around them. So far, she really didn't know what to make of the country so far, but it was a bit different then she expected. For one thing, it seemed well... she couldn't say the country was beautiful, but it wasn't the ugly wound she was expecting from the news reports.

Slowly Kaname leaned against Sousuke and sighed. "What exactly are we waiting for?"

"Farzen went to contact our next ride, he'll be back soon and then the helicopters will arrive in an hour or two. Going by helicopter will at least keep us out of the hands of brigands and highwaymen." He said before shrugging. "Kaname... I—"

A scream came from the other end of the runway and Sousuke scramble to his feet, lifting his rifle toward the source. Kaname felt her throat tighten as she staggered upright and glanced around nervously. "That sounded like Kyoko."

Sousuke nodded as he glanced toward the An-12 Cub and saw Tokiwa jump up and down before climbing onto the top of one of the crates that the An-12's crew had offloaded. There she stood staring down and shivering.

"Come on... It doesn't look like she's hurt but..." Sousuke said before starting toward the girl in a run. A few moments later the two of them came up to her, panting from the sprint down the runway and Kaname looked rather winded.

"Get it away!" Kyoko squealed as Sousuke slid to a stop and saw Shinji snapping pictures at something the color of oatmeal. Immediately he lowered his weapon and let out a chuckle.

Kaname wasn't sure what it was, but it was roughly the size of a large tarantula without a bit of hair. She was reminded of one of those 'facehuggers' from alien.

"EWW!" Kyoko said as it jumped up toward her on the crate and she gave a shiver. "Make it go away!"

"Camel spider," Sousuke muttered to Kaname before grabbing the disgusting thing by what Kaname thought looked almost like a scorpion's stinger and hurling it away from them. Kyoko sighed in relief as Shinji lowered his camera.

"Eww... Eww..." She said before giving another shudder.

"Disgusting thing," Kaname said in agreement.

"What was it?" Shinji asked.

"A camel spider, in truth they're actually more closely related to scorpions," Sousuke stated.

"EWW! I hate spiders!" Kyoko said before giving another shudder.

Kaname giggled as Sousuke shook his head. "Just don't panic, the last thing any of us want is you running off and getting hurt," Sousuke said. "There are much more dangerous things around then those things, the last thing any of us wants is for you to run into a minefield."

Kyoko gaped at him, her eyes wide behind her glasses at his words. A moment later she shuddered again. "Minefield..."

"The soviets make extensive use of mines here, both missile deployed scatter mines that land on the surface and hand placed examples. Fortunately... or unfortunately most mines of that sort are designed to wound, not kill. The most common victims around here are children, unfortunately. The Russians sometimes use brightly colored mines that attract their attention," Sousuke said. "That is another reason we should be safer taking a flight then attempting to go by road, most of them are regularly mined... by both sides."

Kaname shuddered while Shinji and Kyoko turned pale at the talk of mines. Shinji seemed to glance around after a moment as if looking for them.

"It is time to eat I think," Sousuke said quietly before pulling his pack off and dropping it before him. A moment later he pulled four MREs from the pack and handed them to each of them. "The instructions are in English, and I think you did well enough in class to understand them." He then pulled out a canteen and set it down.

"Sp-Spaghetti..." Kyoko made out after a moment before tearing open the package. A tiny bag of toiletries along with a number of wrapped packages spilled out.

"You actually got MREs?" Shinji stammered. "That's so cool!"

"I traded with Weber for the good ones over the years." Sousuke said with a grin. "There are some terrible ones in existence, but these are among the better ones. Even the worst are far better than Soviet rations."

"The Russians wouldn't care that much about the comfort of their soldiers... Did you know the BMP has its fuel tank in the door for the infantry to get in and out of? What if it is hit?" Shinji observed.

"Kalinin often complained of such things, as he said... Russian weapons are designed by a committee," Sousuke said quietly. "The BMP-1 has many weaknesses, as do most Soviet tanks. The ammunition is stored in the turret of most of their tanks for example, so any penetrating hit on the turret will likely set off the whole ammunition load."

"So... you said there are mines here?" Kyoko asked quietly.

"Yes, thousands... perhaps millions of them, it is almost a nightly event for the soviets to drop cluster munitions in the rebel held areas filled with mines. Most of those are quite visible... they just sit on top of the ground. Unfortunately they are also strange shapes and brightly colored, many unfortunate children have died trying to play with them." Sousuke shook his head. "Then there are other mines, the soviets have a tendency to mine the area around their positions almost daily to defend against attack. Most of those are some form of trip mine. The Russians rarely use anti-tank mines here though, as there simply are not enough tanks in rebel hands to make it worthwhile. Of course the rebels use a number of homemade explosives to defend their lines as well. I would not be surprised if half the country has mines covering it."

"That's... so sad, especially the kids that have been hurt," Tokiwa said quietly.

Sousuke nodded as he finished fixing his meal. His friends seemed a bit surprised that the MREs weren't bad tasting and Kaname had arched an eyebrow at the chocolate bar that'd been contained in the pack. Sousuke had pocketed the desert instead of eating it. As they finished Sousuke twitched as he caught a sound on the wind.

In the distance there was the regular thump of a rotor blade cutting through the sky. Sousuke stopped and looked skyward, his eyes searching for the source of the noise before the sound began to build.

Sousuke clutched his rifle and glanced over at his friends, his face taunt. He pointed to the UN An-12 Cub. "Go! Stick close to the plane!"

No sooner had he said that when a helicopter screamed overhead, a mere dozen meters up. Sousuke grimaced as the rotor wash picked up the dusty earth and tore at his clothes as the chopped passed. He spun and lifted the rifle to his shoulder while his friends bolted for the cover of the An-12 Cub.

A chopper painted in the dusty brown and burnt sand colors circled the airfield at top speed and Sousuke tracked it with his rifle nervously. He couldn't make out any markings before it passed overhead again.

It was ugly, with the familiar bulbous double canopy and wide wings jutting from it's fuselage, it couldn't be anything else.

It was a Mi-24 Hind.

His heart was hammering in his chest, if it was hostile he could imagine it's Yak-B gatling gun riddling him in an instant and his gaze flicked over to Kaname, hunkered down beside the Cub. Then as it passed overhead again, it pulled up it's nose and flared over the airfield, shedding speed. Sousuke watched as it's landing gear dropped down and the chopper lined up to land.

The early Hinds, Sousuke knew, had a number of problems. Among them was the fact that they didn't quite have enough engine power to easily hover, takeoff, or land vertically. As a result the chopper usually rolled down runways on takeoff, building lift in part through its large wings.

"SOUSUKE!" A voice shouted and he spun to find Farzen clambering off the back of a battered Toyota pickup truck. His friend smiled faintly at him before he pointed to the landing chopper. "THAT'S OUR RIDE!"

"Understood," Sousuke said with a nod before lowering his rifle. Slowly Kaname stepped out from beneath the wing of the An-12 Cub and watched as the Hind touched down just fifty meters away. It rolled for barely a meter or two before settling to a stop. On the left side of the chopper a hatch popped open and a man clad in the familiar guard of the Afghan resistance waved them over, an An.94 Abkaban clipped to his vest.

Sousuke lowered his rifle and nodded. "Come on, it's our ride."

Kaname held the pakul cap that topped her head down as she followed Sousuke and Zalad to the chopper. Inside was a simple bench that ran parallel to the hatch which looke like it barely had room for four or five people. Kaname sat down near the front of the chopper as Shinji and Kyoko clambered to their seats. Farzen headed for the cockpit and started talking to the pilot as Sousuke shut the hatch behind him.

No sooner had everyone sat down then the chopper was in motion again, flying north. Through the small window before her, Kaname watched the poppy fields passing by beneath her. Sousuke sat beside her, his rifle between his legs pointing toward the ceiling. He glanced over at her. "Kaname... we're almost there, it's just about an hour and a half by helicopter."

She nodded and chewed her lip for a moment. "It's not quite how I imagined it."

"It never is, how are you holding up?"

"Tired, I'll be plenty ready for bed when we arrive." Kaname said quietly.

"I hope the Soviets don't keep you awake, they often do harassment bombing during the night." He said before frowning slightly. "Are you frightened?"

"No, but I think our friends are," Kaname said quietly. "Shinji can't make up his mind whether to be awestruck or terrified."

"I hope they make a good first impression," Sousuke said quietly.

* * *

**4 April 2000, 14:53 hrs.**

**Fayzabad, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan**

**The Home of General Majhid**

Ahmad Shah Massoud was known by many names. The Lion of Panjshir, Badakhshan's Tiger, and General Majhid were his most well known ones. He leaned back against the cushions of the seat and closed his eyes. The living room was crowded as he listened to the service radio that they'd liberated. All around him were a number of the lieutenants and advisors that he'd gained over the years, defectors, mercenaries, patriots, and mujahedeen.

Sediqa sat beside him, her gaze fixed to the radio. Around them were two of Ahmad Shah Massoud's two brothers, Zia and Wali. In the corner was Ahmad, Massoud's eleven year old son, sitting with his sisters. All around them were guards standing ready.

"Krokodil 1-1 to base, Kashim and Farzen secured, we have three additional passengers. No hostile contact, returning to base."

Massoud nodded and glanced over at Sediqa while Zia leaned forward and tapped the transmit button. "Krokodil 1-1, do you have an ID on the passengers?"

"One moment... they are three Japanese teens: Kyoko Tokiwa, Shinji Kazama, and Kaname Chidori." The pilot seemed to stumble over the names but it was just the last one that he recognized.

"They are both alive and coming then..." Sediqa said quietly.

Massoud nodded. "Kashim is coming home."


End file.
